Mimi was very angry. He gave the boy a box on the ear that nearly knocked him over. Now, Siegfried was a king's son, and never before in all his life had any one but his parents dared to punish him. Therefore he was indignant, and without giving Mimi a moment's warning, he seized the dwarf by the collar and dashed him to the ground. When Mimi came to his senses, he was almost dead with pain and fright. He made up his mind then and there that he would have his revenge, but he knew he was no match for Siegfried in strength; so he picked himself up, and pretended that he was not in the least angry. After a while he sent Siegfried to fetch a basket of coal from the colliery, which was near a great linden tree in the forest. Under this tree dwelt a terrible monster, and Mimi hoped that the huge beast would make an end of the lad. As Siegfried reached the tree, out rushed the monster, with open jaws, ready to devour him. But the boy nimbly sprang aside, and uprooting a tree which stood near, he brought it down with such force on the monster's back that the huge creature was dazed by the blow, and lay writhing in pain. Then quick as thought, Siegfried pulled up tree after tree, and piled them high above the struggling monster, pinning him fast to the earth. Thus he slowly crushed the terrible beast to death. As he stood there watching, a pool of blood oozed slowly out from under the pile of trees. He dipped his finger in it without thinking, and was surprised and delighted to find that his finger had become as hard as horn, and that he could neither scratch nor pierce it. "What a fine thing!" thought the lad. "I will bathe myself in the pool, and then nothing on earth can harm me." Accordingly, he quickly undressed and bathed himself in the pool; but as he was stooping over, a broad leaf from the linden tree fell upon his back, between the shoulders, and the spot where it lay was not touched by the monster's blood. Siegfried knew nothing of the leaf. "Now," said he to himself, "I am safe; neither sword nor spear can wound me." Then he cut off the monster's head, filled Mimi's basket with coal, and carried both back to the smithy. Mimi could hardly believe his eyes when Siegfried appeared; he began to fear the wonderful strength of this half-grown boy, and to hate him with a deadly hatred. However, he was far too wise to let Siegfried know his feelings, and so he praised the lad's courage highly. But he at once began to think of another plan to get rid of him. That night, while they were sitting together before the fire, Mimi said: "I know of an adventure which would just suit you, Siegfried. If you succeed in it, it will make you famous all over the world, and you will be very rich." The boy was eager to be off at once, but the dwarf declared that Siegfried must first listen to a long, strange story. Mimi bade him give good heed to what he was about to hear. II MIMI'S STORY